Fulling



Ap 9, 1946. E. J. WILSON Y FULLING Filed March s, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Apr. 9, 1946 FULLING Ezekiel J. Wilson, Slingerlands, Y., assigner to F. C. Huyck & Sons, Rensselaer, N, Y., a corporation of New York Application March 8, 1944, Serial No. 525,811

19 Claims.

, My invention relates to thetreatment oftextile fabrics and particularly to an improved apparatus for fulling woolen `fabrics or fabrics formed in substantial part of wool. Such fabrics are usually fulled by running them for a considerable length of time between a pair of rolls while wet or saturated With water or other lubrieating solution. Pressure controlled by the operator is applied to the top roll, and the action of these rolls on the fabric running therebetween causes it to contractboth in width and length and thus become thicker` and denser.

The fabric, as it comes from the fulling mill, is usually in one string. One end thereof is started through the rolls', and immediately thereafter the ends of the fabric are stitched together to form an endless belt, or loop in which form the fabric is run through the mill until it is fulled down to the required size. The size is checked from time to time, and when the goods are nished, the loop is out at the point where the ends 'of the fabric were originally stitched together and the goods are placed on a truck and conveyed to the site of the next operation. Thus, the present procedure is what might be termed a batch or piece method of treatment.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a method and apparatus whereby fabrics, instead of being fulled in the form of a closed loop or belt, may be fulled in the form of a long string and thus to provide one of a multiple of processing units which may be employed in the continuous treatment of fabrics in this form from the loom to the nal drying thereof. Another object is to provide a controlled means for continuously fulling a fabric whereby fabrics requir- 'ing substantially different treating times may be handled with equal facility and eiciency.l A further objectis'to provide a processing unit `comprising one or more fulling mills of the pusher type together with means for substantially, continuously feeding a fabric thereto and progressing it therethrough at a controlled rate.

I accomplish these objects in thefmanner and by? means of the novel elements and the com- .Lj-

binations and arrangements thereof described b'elow and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- ,i

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a push mill embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 3 in about the plane 2-2 with certain portions broken away to show .details of construction; l

2 Fig.3 is a fragmentary elevation view of the Vpush mill with certain.4 portions broken 'away and certain portions shownin" section; i Y

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary endelevation view of the device with certain portions.brokenwavlayfjand other portions shown in section; i j Fig. 5 isa fragmentary end ,elevation viewsimilar to Fig. 4 but showing portions `oftwo. mills whiehhandle the goods in series or in sequence; and Lf.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section ofFigdn the planeB-G.

"Referring to the drawings: V Y I is the bed'of the millhaving ailoor?A thereon and sides 3 forming thetubwwhieh isropenin'the rear. Mounted to oscillate ontheshaft llmarethe hammer handles 5, 6 and 1 carrying atitheirzbottoms the hammers 8, 9 and l0, respectively;

At the rear, the horizontalerank shaft il is mounted 'to rotate inthe bearings l2, i3, Mfand l5 and is'turned by the motor" i6 throughthe pulleys Il' and I8 and the belts i9. The cranks 20, 2l and `22 are connected to-the backs of the hammers 8, 9 and Ill by meansof the connecting rods 23, 24 and'ZS, respectively.` It-istd'be understood that the cranks on Vshaftr H are disposed to each other at angles. of-ir,and that hammer IG is illustrated in` fullyretraweted position. So far, my device does not diierfrom the ordinary pusher ty'pe of" fulling mill( Therota- `tion 'of the shaft Il oscillates the hammers "about the` axis `of shaft 4 so" that goods to'be fulled and which are placed in the tub in front 'ofthe hammers are pushed and squeezed againstfthe surface'26 in the usual manner.

Securedto one side of the tub at the front is arbearing v21 in which an element 28 is mounted to reciprocate. A shaft 29, drivenfrom shaft II by means of the bevel gears 30,' has a crank 3| thereon lwhich is connected to and reciprocates the element 28 through the link 32 which may be lengthened-or shortened by means of the turnbuckle 33.'- Thus, the distance which-the reciproeating element 28 moves into the tub, which isthe measure of its effective stroke, maybe regulated. The outside surface of the reciprocating element 28 which contacts the goods being fu1led,ias3hee inafter described, is faced `with wood, as shown at 34 in Fig. 2, but other facing materials which will not stain or otherwise damage the fabric may beused., i Y l :l1 f Mounted above the bearing 21 is a pair offeeding rolls 35 and 36 between which the Afabric to be fulledpasses. The shaft 31 towhich the roll 35 is secured is mounted in iixed` bearings "38, 39

and .4o. The shaft to 'winch the rou 3s is se".

Mounted on the shaft 31 is a sprocket wheel l 48, and a sprocket wheel 49 is mounted on shaft 4I. A chain 50 which cooperates with both sprocket 48 and sprocket 49, as best shown in Fig. 6, is driven from sprocket 5I-which, inturn, is*y in the purview of the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

l. In a fulling mill, the combination with an oscillating hammer, of means for progressing a fabric transversely across the path of said haminto said mill in front of said hammer, and

mer.

2. In a fulling' mill, vthe combination with an oscillating hammer, of means for feeding a fabric l .means independent of said hammer and said feeding means for moving said fabric through said mill.

driven through any standard type of variable speed box 52 by means of chain 53 and sprockets 54 and 55; sprocket 55 being secured to and driven by shaft 29. Thus, it will be apparent that both roll and roll 36 are driven, and that the speed thereof lmay be varied as Vdesired by manipulating crank 6l on the variable speedV device 52. l

VInoperation; the fabric56 which is to be fulled may be brought to the mill in the truck 5l as shown in Fig. 5. The fabric is in the form of a long string which is fed 'through the rolls 35 and 36. After passing through the rolls it drops down, 'as shown at 58, in front of the reciprocating element 28 by means of which it is pushed into a Ymas`s5'9 across the front of the hammers where it is pushed by the `hammers against the surface 26. Depending ,upon the numberof hammers in each unit, vhere illustrated as kil but which maybe Aoscillating hammer,` of means f'or feeding a fabric onefor. more, and also upon the character of the goods, oneunit'may be suicient to complete the full'ing. If such is not ,the case, other units, a fragmentary portion of one of which is shown at Eilfin Fig. 5 may be employed. These units may befidentical in all substantial respects with the iunit just described.

v The rate at which'the fabric is pushed through Y the tub in front of the hammers may be controlled by regulating( the distance which `the reciprocating, element 38 moves into the tub. This element,

as'illustrated, has a fixed stroke,jb.ut its distance .from the crank 3|,y and hence the distanceV which it moves into the tub may be varied by means of the turnbuckle ;33. In a similar way the operation of the unit 60 and any other unit through which the goods may be subsequently passed may be controlled.

It will be apparent that the movements of the reciprocating element 28 must be so synchronized with the movements of the hammer l0 that they do not interfere. Thus, as illustrated, the element 28 projects furthest into the tub when the hammer Vl0 is fully retracted. As the hammer I0 moves Vfrom its fully retracted position towards the front of the machine the element 28 is retracted 'and moves out of the tub. As soon as the toe of the hammer I8, as it isbeing retracted, moves out of the path of the element 28, the

element 23 may start to move into the tub, and

may move in to the limit of .its movement and be withdrawnbefore the toe of the hammer, on its forwarder working stroke, again reaches said path; ,'i I.

Where more than one unit is employed, the rate at which the goods are fed to each successive unit will differ because thestring of goods becomes shorter Yand denser as the felting progresses.

While Il have described Amy invention in its preferred embodiment itis to be understood that the words which I haveused are words of description I rather than of limitation and that changes with- .3. In afulling mill, the combination with an oscillating hammer, of means for progressing a fabric transversely across the path of said ham mer and means for varying the rate at which said fabric is progressed.

4. In a fulling mill, the combination with an `oscillating hammer, of means for feeding a fabric to said mill and means for progressing said fabric transversely across the path of said hammer.

5. In a fulling mill, the combination with an oscillating hammer, of means for feeding a fabric to said mill, means for varying the rate "at which said fabric is fed to said mill and means for progressing said fabric transversely across the path of said hammer. Y

6. In a falling mill, the Ycombination'with an to said mill, means fo'rprogressing said fabric transversely across the 'pathof said hammer7 and means for varying the' rateV at which said fabric is progressed.

'7. In a fulling mill, the combination with an oscillating hammer, of means for feeding a fabric to said mill, means for varying the rate at which said fabric is fed, means for progressing said. fabric transversely across the path of said hammer, and means for varying the rate at which said.

fabric is progressed.

8. In a fulling mill, the combination with a plurality of separate tubs each having associated therewith at least one hammer and a mounting therefor adapting said'hammer to oscillate in the tub, of means associated with each tub for feeding a vfabric in the'form of a long string simultaneously to said tubs in series, and means associated with each tub and independent of said hammer and said feeding means for moving said fabric through said mill.

9. In a fulling mill, the combination with a plurality of separate tubs each having associated therewith at least one hammer and a mounting therefor adapting said hammer to oscillate in the tub, of means associated with each tub for feed" ing a fabric in the form of a long string simultaneously to said tubs in series, means associated with each tub and independent of said hammer and said feeding means for moving said fabric through said mill, and means for varying the fulling time of said fabric in each tub.

10. In a fulling mill, the combination withr a plurality of 'separatetubs each having associated therewith at least one hammer and a mounting therefor adapting said hammer to oscillate in the tub, of means associated with each tub for progressing, a fabric in the formV of a long string simultaneously through each of said tubs transversely across the pathof the hammer associated therewith.

therefor adapting said hammerto oscillate in the tub, of means associated with each tub for progressing said fabric through said tub transversely across the path of the associated hammer, and means for Varying the rate at which the fabric is so progressed.

12. In a fulling mill, the combination with a plurality of separate tubs each having associated therewith at least one hammer and a mounting therefor adapting said hammer to oscillate in the tub, of means associated with each tub for feeding a fabric in the form of a long string simultaneously to said tubs in series, and means associated with each tub for progressing said fabric simultaneously through each tube transversely across the path of the hammer associated therewith.

13. In a fulling mill, the combination with a plurality of separate tubs each having associated therewith at least one hammer and a mounting therefor adapting said hammer to oscillate in the tub, of means associated with each tub for feeding a fabric in the form of a long string simultaneously to said tubs in series, means for varying the rate at which said fabric is fed to each of said tubs, and means for progressing said fabfic through each tub transversely across the path of the hammer associated therewith.

14. In a fulling mill, the combination with a plurality of separate tubs each having associated therewith at least one hammer and a mounting therefor adapting said hammer to oscillate in the tub, of means associated with each tub for feeding a fabric in the form of a long string simultaneously to said tubs in series, means associated with each tub for progressing said fabric therethrough transversely across the path of the associated hammer, and means for varying the rate at which said fabric is progressed.

15. In a fulling mill, the combination with a plurality of separate tubs each having associated therewith at least one hammer and a mounting therefor adapting said hammer to oscillate in the tub, of means associated with each tub for feeding a fabric in the form of a long string simultaneously to said tubs in series, means for progressing said fabric through each of said tubs transversely across the path of the hammer associated therewith, means for varying the rateV at which said fab-ric is fed to each of said tubs, and means for varying the rate at which the fabric is progressed through each of said tubs.

16. A fulling mill comprising a tub, a hammer. a mounting for said hammer adapting it to oscillate in said tub, means for actuating said hammer, a reciprocating element, a mounting therefor adapting said element to` cooperate with a fabric for pushing the same across said tub in front of said hammer, and means for actuating said element in timed relation to the movements of said hammer.

17. A fulling mill comprising a tub, a hammer, a mounting for said hammer adapting it to oscillate in said tub, means for actuating said hammer, means for feeding a fabric in the form of a long string into said tub in front of said hammer. a reciprocating element, a mounting therefor adapting said element to cooperate with said fabfic for pushing the same across said tub in front of said hammer, and means for actuating said `element in timed relation to the movements of said hammer.

18. The structure set forth in claim 16 together with means for varying the rate at which said fabric is pushed across said tub.

19. The structure set forth in claim 17 together with means for varying the rate at which said fabric is fed to said tub and means for varying the rate at which it is pushed across said tub.

EZEIHEL J. WILSON. 

